Frozen Chaos
by PrettyVicious
Summary: Ron Weasley's world is flipped when he finds that the man he Dreams of is the missing brother of his best friend, the Boy-Who-Lived. Things are twisted further when he finds out that his intended is an Icepath, and the Winter King. Read as the two struggle to find balance in their lives, and in the wizarding world. -The only thing used from Frozen is the idea of winter powers-
1. Prologue

A child shivered. It was getting harder for him to blink, as ice on his eyelashes forced them together. He tried to pull himself up, but stumbled and fell.

"Mum?", he whispered, trembling.

"Dad?" Nothing but silence answered him, as he fought back tears. He hadn't _meant _to do something wrong. It had been an accident! He and Henry had only been playing. He gave in and cried, his little body shaking. He didn't even know if his brother was alright! What if. . .

He closed his eyes as the numbness set in, eyelids fluttering closed over emerald-toned eyes. The child finally surrendered to the cold and slept, ignorant of the ones that crept closer, watching him. His breathing slowed, then stopped. And with a gust of wind, his eyes opened once again, glowing.


	2. Chapter 1

Ron slumped into his chair at the breakfast table and sighed, his thoughts wandering. He saw his sister, Ginny, and his best friend, Henry Potter, smiling at each other. The two had been moonstruck and starry-eyed with each other since Henry had burst through the Floo the first morning after his Dreams began, beaming.

The Dreams were something that every magic-born wizard and witch had the luck of experiencing. They would go to sleep on the eve of their sixteenth birthday, and wake up with the dreams of their matched element floating in their heads. Henry had seen red fire stones, the Trademark of the Weasley clan. Most pure-kin and pureblood families had one. New-kin, or muggleborns, often had to marry into a family or make their own.

Every wizard and witch, pure-kin or not, was born with an Inclination. This gift gave them and their magic a path to follow. There was Fire, Water, Earth, and Air; the four base elements. Magic had poured herself into the Earth, and these four were forged in Her strength. There had once been other paths, such as Blood, Metal, and Ice, but these had faded with Time.

To follow your path was to honor it, but to marry within your path was considered strange. If Henry hadn't been the Boy-Who-Lived, the betrothal made of two Firepath pure-kin would have been a scandal. Even as it was, most of the elders in the Wizarding World still clicked their tongues and shook their heads. In private, though, of course. It wouldn't do to insult two of the most influential families in the world.

In the Weasley family, the Matriarch and Patriarch were Firepath Mages, known for their skill in their magic. Bill had become a Curse-breaker, powerful in his own right, and married an Airpath Veela named Fleur Delacour. Charlie and his dragons made a formidable opponent, and his recent engagement to sixteen year old Waterpath Draco Malfoy had made the papers, as the families' feud had raged for ages. Percy was powerful, not in fire, but in his wizard strength. He had very little Inclination within him, but could wield Neutral, Light, and Dark spells expertly. The twins were known for their Twin-Bound power, despite their different personalities and spouses. Fred was head over heels in love with Earthpath new-kind Hermione Granger, while George was wooing Airpath pure-kin Luna Lovegood. Ginny Weasley was a force to be reckoned with, holding the power as the Seventh Daughter of a Seventh Son. Include the fact that the seventh child was often the one with the most power, and you'll understand why few at Hogwarts tried to test her.

That left Ron. He wasn't really sure what was special about him. His power level as a wizard was average. His Inclination, while strong, wasn't all that large. He was barely known outside of Hogwarts, and in Hogwarts, he was simply known as the best friend of the Boy-Who-Lived. He knew he had a bad temper, and a large appetite, but he'd never really thought about himself that much.

But his Dreams- they had been strange. Instead of Dreaming of Water-borne wards, or Earth-forged towers, or Air-made brooms, he had Dreamed of ice. Of a frozen empire, filled with cold creatures, a constant, never-ending snow. Of white hair, pale skin, and burning, icy eyes. And a lightening scar.

He would wake up every morning shivering, lips blue with cold, with a rose of ice so cold that it burned. Ron groaned softly and covered his face. What was he supposed to do? There hadn't been an Icepath since before Merlin. Maybe-

"Ron!"

He started, blinking in shock. His family looked at him, half concerned, the other half amused. He flushed.

"Yeah, Mum?" His mother rushed over and felt his forehead. He blushed harder and batted her hand away.

"Mum, I'm fine!"

"You haven't eaten a bite of breakfast! Are you feeling well?"

"I'm just not hungry." Immediately, he wished he could take that back. Everyone was gaping at him. Ginny let out a snort.

"You? Not hungry? The world must be ending!" He immediately turned red and stomped off to his room. Once the door was locked, he flopped onto his bed. He let out a frustrated breath. He _had_ to find out who his Icepath love was. He couldn't asked his family for help, grimacing at the thought. They would be shocked, and maybe even disgusted.

Being an Ice, Blood, or Metalpath had died out because it had included Diverging from the path that Magic had put the wizard on. To Diverge was considered blasphemous, and a stain on your kin.

He couldn't ask Henry or Hermione for help. The Potters were close to his family, which meant that Henry might tell on him. Plus, the Potters were traditionalists, as were most of the people he knew. Hermione would just believe what the books said. If the books said Divergence was bad, she would believe that. He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. He would have to go at this alone, which would mean that as soon as he got back to Hogwartz, he would enter one of the places he hated the most.

The library.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- So I got asked how Voldemort plays a role in this fanfic. Honestly, I've decided that instead of sitting on their asses, the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore, and the Potters started hunting for a way to make sure that Riddle couldn't come back. They spent ten years searching for and destroying Horcruxes, so when Quirrelmort showed up in Henry's first year, it didn't take much to destroy him. If you'd like me to add a little more of Riddle's effects, feel free to ask.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Henry glanced at Ron out of the corner of his eye. His best friend had been strangely quiet ever since the middle of summer.

"Ron?" He startled, blinking rapidly before turning towards Henry.

"Yeah?" Henry hesitated, then asked, "Is something wrong? You've been really quiet lately." Hermione nodded, frowning. "You didn't even buy some candy from the trolley. Is everything alright?"

Ron smiled wanly, opened his mouth, then paused. His eyes flickered towards Hermione, looking for something that Henry couldn't see.

"Hey, Hermione? Can I ask you a question about something?" Hermione straightened up, looking pleased. "Of course!"

"What do you know about Divergence?" Henry choked on his breath and Hermione's jaw dropped. "Oh, Ron! You're not thinking of-"

"No! It's just. . . I heard someone talking about it and realized I don't know much. That's all, I swear!" Henry relaxed, but Hermione eyed Ron warily, before nodding and taking in a breath.

"Well, Divergence is thought to have died out after the First Wizarding War. It was said to be the main campaign in Voldemort's persuasion, convincing Divergent outcasts to join him and destroy the stigma of being Divergent. If I can recall correctly, Voldemort's original family Inclination was Water-forged jewels, but he couldn't see the beauty in it, and Diverged to Blood-borne disease. This was why it was so difficult to defeat him, as he would use diseases that would only die with him. The Muggles call it biological warfare.

The main Divergent paths were Blood, Ice, Metal, and Time. The last known Bloodpath was Voldemort, the last Icepath was Grindelwald, the last Metalpath was Mordred, and no one knows who the last Timepath was, other than that he or she may have been born before the fall of Atlantis."

Hermione kept talking, but Ron shivered slightly. Could his match really be _Grindelwald_? The Dreams were always focused on ice, and Nurmengard _was _a tower. . . But he was sure that the person in his Dreams was younger, and had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Grindelwald didn't have that, right? Ron resolved to find a picture of the Icepath immediately. But he probably didn't have anything to worry about. Even if Grindelwald did have a scar, there was no way that man would send anyone roses, Dream-match or not. Ron snapped back to the present when Henry waved his hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" Ron flushed, and the temperature in the compartment raised a little. Hermione huffed indignantly, while Henry lowered the temperature again.

"Were you even listening? Honestly, Ron-"

"Yeah," He interrupted, "I was just thinking for a second. You were saying?" She blinked, startled, before continuing.

"As I was saying, records of Divergents are held in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library, and at the Ministry. You can search pure-kin lines to see if you're related to any." Henry snorted.

"Why would you want to? It'd be horrible to be related to one of those things, or even worse, Dream-matched." Ron bent his head to hide his paling face, even as Hermione began to berate Henry. There was no way Henry would support Ron in finding his Dream-match. If anything, he'd probably try to convince the Weasleys to marry him off to someone who had lost their Dream-match. He shuddered at the thought of being unhappily married to a widow or widower who would ignore him and mourn for their deceased spouse for the rest of their lives.

As they left the train, Ron made a promise to himself. He wouldn't tell anyone what had happened in his Dreams, and he would find his match alone. Even if it took him forever.

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><p>AN- I'm not going to include many other characters as far as dialogue and little details, mainly because they haven't come to life in my head yet. If you read the first chapter and would like to see more of a certain couple, please review and let me know.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron peeked around the corner, then ducked back. Slowly, he pulled forward, eyes scanning for other people. Nothing. He ran forward, practically throwing himself around the next turn. It was probably over-dramatic of him, but it'd been two weeks, and he hadn't been to the library alone once! Every time he tried to sneak away from the common room or slip away from Hermione's table in the library, someone or something caught him. He grinned as he rounded the last corner and was faced with the library. He knew it would be nearly empty since it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Now he could get some real work done! He paused, ran that sentence over in his mind, then snorted. That was probably the first time he had ever said that.

He slipped into the room, then began to scan the shelves. How were these organized again? Were they even organized? Ron spent the next ten minutes fruitlessly searching, before he ran a frustrated hand through his hair and looked up. He blinked. There were signs on the top of the bookshelves. He flushed red, glad that no one had witnessed that. He refocused, and backed up to look at the signs. "Let's see. Potions, Herbology, DADA. . .There! History!" Ron wove through the shelves and began to to look. "Alright, Aiden, Bok, Devenmake. . . Hardwrought!" There were two books, one thicker than his head, and the other about half that size. He pulled the smaller one out and looked at the front. _The Compendium of the Chronicles of Divergence in the Greater British Wizarding World. _Then he grabbed the second one, that read _The Chronicles of Divergence in the Greater British Wizarding World._ "What in Merlin's name is a compendium?" He wondered. Then he shrugged and carried both to the nearest table.

He opened the compendium and read the introduction. _The history of the Divergents is often shrouded in mystery and biased hatred. Often branded as wrong and worthy of scorn, the choice of Divergence has been villiainized and misinterpreted. In this book, we hope to clear away the misconceptions and show the truth. _Ron's eyes narrowed. There was something strange about this book. . . He grabbed the larger book and opened it to the introduction, scanning the page. _Divergence is an example of Dark magic, one that twists and mutates the true intentions of one's magic. History shows the damage to one's magic and one's mind that Divergents experience due to their poor choices. _Two completely different books. He hesitated, then grabbed the compendium. Standing up, he hefted the other book back onto the shelf. He'd read the compendium first. It was shorter, after all.

Ron froze, then slumped back into a chair and groaned. He had completely forgotten that the book was in the Restricted Section. That meant he'd have to come up with a lie to tell a professor in order to obtain a pass in order to check it out. Maybe he should just go to the Ministry? But no, there was a higher chance of getting caught. Plus, this book wasn't exactly like it was supposed to be. The two were supposed to be similar, and judging from the way people talked about the Divergents, the compendium was a little off. What if it was the only copy?

He huffed out a sigh and looked down at the back of the compendium, then froze. There wasn't a stamp on it. All Hogwarts' library books had a stamp on them, to physically show the difference between them and the students' own books. That meant. . .he could take it. "Well, that's strange." He flipped open the front cover to see who had last checked it out, if it had been checked out before. Ron's face paled slowly, and his heartbeat sped up as he quickly snapped the book shut. Breathing unevenly, he stumbled franticly back to the shelves and was about to shove it back in its place, but hesitated. This could be his only chance at finding his Dream-match. Was he really willing to give that up?

Finally, as the voices of the students pouring back into Hogwarts from Hogsmeade rose, he slowly crept back to his bag, eyes darting. Ron slipped the book into his bag, swallowing heavily. All he would do is read it and bring it back. It didn't matter who had check it out before, right? He wasn't them, and reading the book would turn him into them. Then the voices in the halls caught up to him, and he froze, then burst into a run. He had told Hermione and Henry that he hadn't been feeling up to Hogsmeade! They would hardly believe him if they found him in the halls!

Darting down the halls, he wished he had the Marauders' Map with him. At least then he'd know the shortcuts! Finally reaching the common room, he stumbled up the steps, ignoring the stares from the few Lions in the room. Ron threw himself into the dorms, then slammed to a halt, bending over and gasping for breath. No one was there, not even Trevor, Neville's toad. Relaxing, he slumped onto his bed and tossed his bag onto the floor. Eyes fluttering shut, he fought it for a moment, then gave up. He could read the book when he woke up. . .

"Mate!" Ron yelped and jerked up, head swerving wildly. His vision cleared, and he saw Henry, Neville, and Dean staring concernedly at him. He turned bright red.

"Ron, are you alright?" Dean asked hesitantly. Ron quickly smiled, still flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm alright, just had a bad dream." Henry laughed and flopped onto his bed. "About what, getting Dream-matched to a Divergent? I told you that those monsters will give you nightmares!" Ron forced a laugh, ignoring the slight twinge in his chest, but not missing the cringe from Dean. And from the look of it, Neville had noticed too.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm going to get some more sleep." Ron closed his curtains, but his mind had started racing. He honestly hadn't thought he'd get this far. Now what was he supposed to do? Was it safe to read it in his dorm? Was it safe to keep it there? He borrowed things from his dorm mates and he knew they borrowed from him. What if they found it? How much trouble would he be in?

Even as the night wore on, Ron thought and planned. The fallout would be horrible if anyone saw him with a book on Divergents. The only reason he wasn't been shunned right now was because he was friends with Henry, and that he had asked Hermione about Divergence when the three of them were alone. But with the book, he'd have to be careful, especially if anyone saw the previous readers. Even the thought of the names gave him the chills.

_Gellert Grindelward_ and _Thomas Riddle_.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- I know that every author asks for this, but seriously! Review! Please! This is my first attempt at actually writing down the crazy prompts in my head, and I want to know if I'm doing a good job.

Hermione sighed and leaned into Fred, forehead creased thoughtfully. Fred frowned, the laughter on his face fading into worry. She immediately pressed a kiss into his cheek, inwardly rolling her eyes. "I'm fine Fred, just thinking about something." She loved the man, but he was surprisingly overprotective when it came to her.

"Are you sure? Has someone been bothering you? Is it-" She cut him off, "Fred! I'm positive that I'm fine! I was just thinking about someone." Fred relaxed slightly, but the tense look in his eyes didn't quite disappear. His arms tightened slightly as he spoke. "And who exactly is distracting you so much? I don't have any competition, do I?" Hermione huffed, exasperated. Yes, it was true that they were only technically engaged, and only through Fred's Dreams, but you'd think that after a year, he'd relax a little!

"I'm thinking about your little brother, who is like my little brother, because that's as far as our relationship goes," She said calmly, a hint of irritation slipping in. He flushed guiltily, because he knew that this had been an issue between the two of them. He just couldn't help himself! She was his Lady, the love of his life! The thought of her belonging to anyone other than him made the fire inside him rage.

Hermione shifted to get a better glance at his face. Should she tell him? Ron was Fred's brother, and could probably understand Ron's strange mood swings since school had started. She opened her mouth, hesitating long enough for Fred to snap back into reality and ask her, "What about Ron? Is something wrong with him? Besides the obvious, I mean." He sniggered until she elbowed him in the gut. The breath whooshed out of him.

"Honestly! He's your brother, you shouldn't make fun of him like that! My point is, he's been acting strange since we got back to Hogwarts. He even asked Henry and me about Divergence!" Fred's breath whooshed right back out, just as he had gotten it back. Eyes wide in shock and horror, he exclaimed, "He asked about what?! I need to tell Mum!" Hermione froze long enough for Fred to scramble up and race out of the room.

"Wait, Fred!" Hermione leaped for the door, but didn't make it before the green flash of the Floo made itself known. She huffed and slumped against the doorway. Ron was going to kill her.

Ron sighed and slumped down behind Hagrid's shed. He was pretty sure that Henry and Hermione were avoiding him. He cursed himself for being stupid enough to ask them about Divergence. They might be his best friends, but they were still pretty stuck in their ways. He should've just looked it up in a book. . . His thoughts were interrupted by humming. He scrambled up, ready to leave, when Luna wandered in.

He relaxed immediately. Luna, while not officially engaged to George, was matched to him. He personally couldn't understand how anyone could want to marry her, mainly because she was slightly insane. Then again, he had always thought that the twins were insane. This just proved it.

"Hello, Ronald," She spoke, her face completely serene. "Er, hi," He said rather stupidly, then blushed a brilliant red. Merlin, could he possibly sound more like an idiot? Luna didn't seem to mind, and plopped herself onto the ground next to his feet, then tugged onto his jeans. Smiling widely when he sat down reluctantly, she leaned in and whispered something. He blinked, uncomprehending. She smiled at leaned back, waiting patiently. His brain unfroze, and he heard in his mind, _I know your secret. _

Face white with fear, he immediately began to blurt out excuses and denials, each tumbling out of his mouth, tripping over each other. She just laughed and leaned into him, so her lips were an inch away from his ear. "Don't worry." Those words blew through him like gentle wind, relaxing his muscles and erasing the exhaustion from hours of worrying. He pulled away and stared at her, afraid and amazed.

Airpaths couldn't _do _that. It was impossible. No one could do that. Unless. . . His heart beat franticly, hoping he was right. "You're a Divergent." Her smile was gone, a solemn, serious gaze piercing him instead. The only thing he could do was sit and let her _see_, everything there was in him. She finally looked away, and he gasped, the world around him coming into a sharp relief. She spoke, her voice quiet and firm, before getting up and walking away. All he could do was sit, her words repeating in his head.

_There is more to Magic that people want to see. How far are you willing to go?_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the buildings, or any other named things. I might own the plot (maybe?).

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><p>Ron stumbled through the doors of Hogwarts, still dazed from the conversation with Luna. His thoughts kept racing. Did he really want his match this badly? Being matched with a Divergent was worse than being Dark. Could he really stand with his match against his family and friends? He couldn't understand what she meant. Magic was Dreammatches and paths and wands. It was Hogwarts and brooms and potions and spells. What could she have been talking about?<p>

"Ron!" His head snapped up and he quickly grinned as Hermione rushed up to him. "Hey Hermione, what-" She cut him off, eyes wide and tearful, guilt flooding her face. "Oh Ron! I'm sorry, really, I didn't mean to tell, it just slipped out!" Ron's heart froze in his chest. If someone else knew. . . He lunged forward and grabbed Hermione by the arms as she yelped. "Who did you tell? Hurry up and tell me!" She tried to wiggle free as he shook her, panic tensing his grip. "Well?" Hermione's face flushed red as she twisted. "It was just Fred, it was an accident! Let go, Ron, you're hurting me!"

His arms went limp and she pulled herself free. If Fred knew, he'd tell their parents. If Mum and Dad found out . . . he was dead. Ron whirled around and raced out of the Great Hall.

Fred watched his mother in shock. He'd known that she would be upset about Ron's curiosity with Divergence, but he hadn't known she would act like this. The moment the word 'Divergent' had left his mouth, she had rushed for the Floo and screamed for his Dad. When Arthur Weasley finally appeared, she burst into hysterics and launched herself at him. "Oh, this is horrible, what are we going to do? Who could possibly be teaching my son about those things?"

Arthur stared at his wife, bewildered. "Darling, what-" Molly's lip curled into the ugliest sneer Fred had ever seen on his mother's face. "Divergents" she hissed. He froze, face paling as he swayed in shock. Fred inched closer to the fireplace, hesitating. He had never seen his father this shaken before, and he wasn't sure if his dad would faint or explode into a rage.

"Where is he?" Arthur's voice was so cold, they could feel the ice dripping from his words. Fred stammered, licked his lips and tried again. "H-he still at s-school. He d-doesn't know I-I came to t-tell you," His father whirled and slumped into a chair, his whole body deflating. Fred promptly lunged for the Floo powder and threw himself through the fireplace, back to his flat. He didn't know how Ron was going to handle Mum and Dad's rage, but he did know that he didn't want to be within a hundred kilometers of Hogwarts.

Ron ran, his surroundings blurring as he sped up the stairs. Shouts of confusion and annoyance rang out as he pushed his way through the students on their way to dinner. He had to get out of there, before his parents arrived. The Weasley family had held a grudge against Divergents ever since he was little. One day, at the age of five, he, Henry, and. . . Ron slowed as he reached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Who else had been there? There had been a third person, who had comforted four-year old Ginny when he and Henry didn't want her to join them.

Who was it?

The portrait swung open as Henry and Ginny stumbled out, laughing. Ron stored that thought away before ducking his head and slipping around them. Henry caught his arm. "Hey! We haven't hung out in a while. Do you want to sit at dinner together?" Ron smiled tightly, inching away. "Actually, I was just going to lay down for a little. I'm just feeling a little dizzy." Ginny's irritated voice reached his ears as he shoved himself through the portrait door and ran across the common room to his dorm.

It was empty, and his frantic breaths seemed to echo off of the walls. He ripped open his bag and dumped it upside down onto his bed, then started shoving clothes in. He probably wouldn't need books, where he was going. He grabbed his wand, closed his stuffed bag, and headed to the door before he froze. The compendium! It was probably his only key in finding his Dreammatch.

Running back to his bed, he whirled towards the door, then stopped. His face paled as the sound of shouting reached his ears. There was only one voice that could scream that loud, and that was his Mum's. As the other voices joined her and grew closer, he frantically searched for something, anything, to hide himself. Henry's invisibility cloak! He lunged for Henry's trunk, rummaged through it, and yanked the cloak on as the door swung open.

His mother stomped through the door, followed by Professor McGonagall and his father. He shrunk away, pressing himself into Henry's trunk. A pang of guilt rushed through him at the tear streaks on his mum's face. It was promptly replaced by panic as two Aurors and his father stormed in. They were sure to see him, and he didn't fancy being punished for. . . What _was _he in danger for? A loud sob yanked him out of his thoughts.

"I want the monster who corrupted my son found! I want him arrested immediately," His mum cried out, cheeks flushed angrily. His dad pulled his mum into his arms, murmuring soothingly. The Aurors headed straight for his bed, and he felt his heart lurch in his chest. He'd forgotten the compendium under his bed. If anyone saw it, they'd be suspicious, and he'd lose his only chance at finding his Dreammatch!

Ron swallowed hard, trembling. Somehow he had to get the book out from under his bed, past the Aurors and his parents, and through Hogwarts. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. This shouldn't be so hard, and maybe . . . if he thought of it as a strategic thing. Like a chess game, and he was the king that was trying to avoid capture. He would need to move around the other two beds, and maybe use the window? Either that or cause a distraction.

Slowly, Ron shifted forwards, creeping towards his bed. He froze when one of the Aurors turned and scanned the room. As the man turned back around, Ron carefully stepped closer before sinking to his knees, shaking slightly. He stiffened when the Auror right next to him shifted, holding his breath. He managed to hold back a sigh of relief as the man took a couple of steps forward and away from the bed. Ron quickly grabbed the book, scrambling back. He stumbled and tripped, setting off a firework in Henry's bed.

BOOM!

The room lit up, his mother screamed while his father shielded her, the Aurors drew their wands, and Ron ran for it.

Slamming right through the dorm's door, he practically tripped down the stairs, fumbling in his haste. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dean standing, shouts of confusion and surprise ringing out from the other Gryffindors. He launched himself out of the common room and ran.

Heart pounding, Ron threw himself through the doors of Hogwarts, before halting in shock. Fat droplets of water smacked him as the sky above roiled violently. He groaned, but headed towards Hagrid's hut, shivering. If he tried walking to the village in this weather, he'd have good coverage, but he'd probably get lost. Water had a way of dampening not only Firepaths' abilities, but their senses and mental processes as well. Chances are, if he went with the walking plan, he'd end up stumbling around the Forbidden Forest, dazed and probably hallucinating.

Maybe he could run back in and try for the Floo? No, it was too risky. Sighing, he started to run, hitching up his trunk. The only thing he could think of was running for Hogsmeade in hopes that he'd make it before it started down-pouring.

Two minutes later, he was regretting his decision. Shivering, he stumbled into the village, struggling to stay focused. He. . . he needed to. . . something. Right, right, he was running from the Ministry. He couldn't remember exactly why, but as he grasped dazedly for the door to a pub, a hand reached from behind him and grabbed the doorknob. Ron stumbled forward through the door and whirled, mind clearing with the heat from the fireplace. The hag that had forced the door open stared at him.

Flushing, he mumbled a half-hearted apology, then turned and rushed up to the bar. "Excuse me, but do you have any Floo powder?" The bartender, scowling, looked up and seemed startled. "Aren't you a Hogwarts student? Didn't know Albus allowed tykes to travel through the village on random days." Ron flushed indignantly at the thought of being called a tyke, and quickly fabricated a lie, words tripping and tumbling out of his mouth. "I- I need to go visit. . . my aunt. She, uh, works in Diagon Alley, so. . ." Seriously? Could he make it any more obvious that he was lying? He peered up at the bartender, eyes wide and pleading.

The man snorted. "I wasn't prying, even though you can't lie worth shit. Floo powder's over there, over the fireplace. I better not get into trouble for letting you through." Ron's shoulders slumped in relief and he ran for the fireplace. "Yes sir, thank you!" With a flash of green and a shout, he was gone.

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><p>AN: I really haven't asked enough, but please review! You guys are my only source of feedback.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Been a little busy, so sorry about the delay.

He stumbled through the alley, finally leaning against a wall to catch his breath. The amount of animosity and mocking he received every time he ventured out of his home was surprisingly terrifying, despite the years that had passed. Jack peeked out of the alleyway, tugging his hood further over his head. His pure white hair made him an obvious target, no matter where he went.

To put it bluntly, Jack was albino. Or at least he thought that he was. White hair and white skin, with his other deviation being his bright green eyes. It wasn't exactly something that he was embarrassed about, but he had to admit that it made his life much more difficult. He'd been chased out of more than one town because they thought of him as a demon. Add it the crazy winter powers, and it was no wonder he had trouble making friends. He couldn't wait to get back to the mountains, but he'd have to make it out of town first.

Jack bent his head and speed-walked through the streets, cursing the wind that would occasionally tug playfully on his hood. "Not now, Janus!" He muttered. A woman with her child gave him an odd glance, pulling her daughter a little closer to her. He winced mentally, and crossed this town off of his list of safe ones.

Finally, he reached the outskirts of town, and ran as fast as he could. The winds shrieked and whirled around him, making a sound like laughter. Jack snorted and ran faster. At least someone was having fun.

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><p>Jack groaned in frustration when he reached his campsite. The wolves had been at it again. They hadn't taken his food, since he kept it with him, but they had messed with his tent. He thought about trying to repair it, but by the look and smell, it would be an uphill, thankless effort. He pulled the rest of his equipment together, slipping it into his favorite magic sack. It was old, and constantly lost his pens, but it could hold just about everything else. Since it was so small, people usually didn't think that he was a runaway. <em>Of course, I'd need something to run away from in the first place<em>, he mused. For the most part, Jack had been raised by the Four Winds, and whatever Winter Sprites had been intrigued by the little Winterpath.

Unfortunately, having little contact with humans left his knowledge of other magic-wielders patchy and disorganized. He knew that they existed, but he couldn't understand what the Sprites had meant by finding it through brick and mortar. And as far as the North wind was concerned, human magic-wielders were mostly idiots that constrained the Mother's reign.

Finding the magic-wielders would probably be a bad idea anyways. If there was one lesson that the Sprites and the Winds had hammered into him, it was that he would be killed if anyone found out what he was. Whether it be magic-wielders or mundanes, he would be seen as a freak of nature and reviled. But still. . .

The thought of meeting others who could wield powers equal to his was incredibly tempting. It might even be worth the risk. Not to mention the fact that he could feel himself spiraling into something that frightened the Sprites. Controlling winter and ice was something natural to someone who had been born into a family of such. He remembered enough of his family to know that flames had been his calling, not the cold. Deviating from the path was dangerous, enough to make him loose control. If the magic-wielders were more experienced, then they might have a solution for the magic in him that was slowly taking over.

Biting his lip, Jack hesitated before closing his eyes, reaching into the sky with a tendril of his magic. He carefully felt through the tendrils and threads, reaching for the ones that would give him what he wanted. He felt the air start to chill and swallowed, forcing himself to focus. The last time he had done this, he had accidentally started a three day blizzard instead of the light sprinkling he'd intended. It had been during the winter months, but it had also been in Florida, bringing copious amounts of attention and news coverage.

He carefully let go, letting the tendril slip free. Opening his eyes, he sighed with relief when a light dusting of snow began to fall from the sky.


End file.
